Prospectus Hit List for July 20

Hit List for July 19
Hit List for July 23Hit List updates are published Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, starting April 2, 2014. Data presented here is based on games through the day prior to publication.Teams are ordered based on Adjusted Hit List Factor, a computer generated number, and the author isn't responsible for the order of the teams.

51

41

47.3

48.7

48.7

.532

.512

79.2%

6.3%

85.5%

-4.2%

24.2%

Melky Cabrera is really enjoying his time in San Francisco. Yesterday he spent the day daring oncoming cable cars to hit him. Then he parked in a loading zone and violently gestured at the parking police to give him a ticket.

2

49

44

47.6

48.4

49.3

.522

.542

30.6%

13.8%

44.4%

2.9%

13.9%

In 2010 Austin Jackson posted a BABIP of .396 and everyone said it was a fluke and he would regress. Next year his BABIP was .346. More coming, said people. This year? .395. Has Austin Jackson broken BABIP?

3

48

45

52.5

53.8

53.3

.558

.578

1.1%

38.6%

39.7%

4.9%

10.3%

Cody Ross has three three-run homers in the past two games. Cody Ross! Would you trade Cody Ross for anyone in baseball right now?! Of course you would.

4

52

40

51.0

48.2

48.4

.542

.522

56.2%

27.6%

83.8%

1.3%

7.8%

Inside the Reds strategy: like ghost runners, manager Dusty Baker will use ghost Vottos to pinch-hit.

5

48

44

47.7

45.5

46.3

.509

.529

0.4%

9.1%

9.5%

2.7%

5.3%

Knowing it is notoriously difficult for eastern teams to travel to Oakland and play well, the A's are moving their stadium. Not to San Jose, but to Goose Lake in the very northeastern corner of the state. "There isn't an airport for years," laughed GM Billy Beane. "Let's see the Yankees hit six homers with the worst jet lag on the planet."

85.5%

-5.5%

4.1%

51

40

49.4

47.0

46.2

.532

.512

19.2%

29.9%

49.1%

-0.5%

3.9%

The Pirates' vast improvement on offense hasn't carried over to their stolen base totals, where they lead baseball in getting caught trying to steal. They are the Pirates after all.

8

44

47

45.1

44.6

43.0

.486

.466

2.8%

9.1%

11.9%

-1.1%

2.9%

Losing Zack Greinke to free agency would be very hard on the Brewers, but trading Greinke would be giving up on the season. So instead the Brewers have decided to injure Greinke by forcing him to pitch three out of every five days. Outside-the-box thinking that.

9

50

41

48.6

48.2

48.8

.537

.517

28.5%

41.3%

69.8%

3.9%

2.5%

Tim Hudson is undefeated when his team scores more runs than they give up. (Some national TV broadcasters might disagree, but intensive research bears this out.)

10

48

44

40.2

38.6

40.1

.454

.474

0.2%

8.7%

8.9%

3.7%

1.8%

Other than two early days in April, the Orioles have spent all but five days of summer in first or second place. Are you getting the feeling we just reached the top of the rollercoaster as well?

11

41

52

43.8

46.0

45.1

.473

.453

0.1%

2.4%

2.5%

1.7%

1.2%

If the Phillies are able to re-sign Cole Hamels, they'll have gone from having the best rotation in baseball history two seasons ago to having the future most expensive best rotation in baseball history two seasons ago.

12

39

55

39.9

39.9

38.7

.419

.399

0.1%

0.0%

0.1%

0.1%

0.1%

38

53

39.4

37.2

37.5

.418

.399

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Since June 25th (hooray for specifically chosen start points!) the Cubs are 14-5. On that day Chicago was 15 1/2 games out of first place. Now they are 13 1/2. So if the Cubs are able to extend the season and go 98-35 they'll be in first place.

14

35

56

38.5

35.9

35.6

.398

.379

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

There are two basic routes the Rockies can travel to build a team at high altitude. 1) Build a giant hermetically sealed, sea-level pressurized, tax-payer funded dome. 2) Build a better baseball team.

15

34

59

37.2

35.6

34.8

.381

.362

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

The Astros' elimination number is 52. Seems like it should be much lower.

16

44

48

39.1

41.5

41.9

.453

.433

0.7%

3.1%

3.8%

0.4%

0.0%

The Marlins are apparently ready to trade anyone and everything. They called Boston yesterday to propose acquiring the Green Monster for their bizarre home run sculpture thingy.

17

38

54

37.1

39.7

39.9

.421

.440

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Time again for Happy Twins Facts! Twins pitching has induced the most double plays (94) of any team! Yay!

18

40

54

45.4

43.1

43.6

.458

.478

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

When all signs point to a certain outcome, it's called a reverse lock. When Felix Hernandez faces the Royals, that's a reverse reverse lock.

19

39

52

40.0

38.6

39.2

.431

.451

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

-0.1%

This season has been and will likely remain a disappointment for the Royals, but there is still hope. A fabulous farm system is bearing its fruits. It can't come soon enough as the club got beat up by Seattle. Come on, fruits! Bear!

20

55

36

53.8

57.0

55.6

.608

.627

89.8%

9.1%

98.9%

2.5%

-0.5%

The Rangers are still absolutely the best team in baseball according to everyone who doesn't really pay all that much attention to it.

21

57

35

54.2

54.1

54.6

.598

.617

98.2%

1.6%

99.8%

0.0%

-0.6%

With a nine-game lead in their division, the Yankees have announced that they're taking the rest of July off. "We're kinda tired and, whoo boy is it hot," said Joe Girardi. "I figured we have this lead in the standings which we aren't using, why not use it? I'm going to Tahiti. See you in August, suckers!"

45

47

47.2

44.5

45.6

.495

.515

0.0%

2.8%

2.8%

-2.1%

-3.3%

Ricky Romero is tied for the league lead with six successful pickoffs. That's a valuable skill to have, which he has. Of course, so is keeping your season ERA below 5.00, which he doesn't.

24

48

45

46.8

44.6

46.3

.499

.519

0.5%

18.5%

19.0%

2.1%

-3.9%

Ben Zobrist provides value in so may ways besides offense. Defense and baserunning are important, but Zobrist can cook a crazy good omelet, helps his teammates brush their teeth (cavities are painful!), and is always available for housesitting.

25

50

43

51.4

53.2

53.6

.560

.579

9.8%

71.7%

81.5%

-3.6%

-4.8%

The Angels are 14-3 when Albert Pujols homers. (Working on a project -- don't tell anyone -- that posits that home runs correlate to victories.)

26

47

45

47.5

47.7

48.4

.518

.498

3.3%

15.7%

19.0%

2.7%

-6.2%

An analyst says that with each single, David Wright's asking price on the free agent market goes up $100. A homer is $1,000, and a smiling post-game interview is $10,000. You don't want to know how much being accidentally captured naked on live TV is worth.

27

44

48

46.1

48.6

48.0

.507

.487

6.7%

11.4%

18.1%

2.5%

-7.7%

Arizona had more than twice as many hits (14) as its opponent, Cincinnati, did (6). Of course I'm mentioning it because Arizona lost. You saw that coming, right?

28

47

45

52.7

53.6

51.8

.557

.538

21.8%

26.0%

47.8%

-2.1%

-14.9%

Three Cardinals facts that may or may not be true: 1) several players own goats, which graze in the outfield, 2) the team has 100 home runs exactly, 3) through tragic personal experience the team is now serving flame retardant fruit.

29

47

45

42.3

46.3

46.9

.496

.516

12.6%

7.5%

20.1%

-10.3%

-16.2%

A year ago the Indians traded four promising young players to Colorado for Ubaldo Jimenez. Since the trade, Jimenez has posted an ERA above 5.00 in 175 1/3 innings. The young players are still young.

30

49

44

47.1

46.5

45.7

.506

.486

14.0%

9.8%

23.8%

0.8%

-17.8%

One advantage in having a team so full of holes that you can't see the "team" part is that, when it comes to trading deadline season, finding help shouldn't be too difficult. Just about anyone will do. You! Reader! Play third base for the Dodgers now, please.